MIRI: Minister of Transport Datuk Lee Kim Shin expressed surprise that the 2021 Budget did not allocate fund to the development of river transport and airports, especially on upgrading and expansion works.
“These two are very important socially and economically in Sarawak,” he pointed out.
“We will highlight this matter to Ministry of Transport (MOT) in Putrajaya; we need to pursue this matter with them,” he asserted.
On the transportation sector RM150 million has been allocated for the Stage Bus Service Transformation Programme (SBST) in Kangar, Seremban, Ipoh, Kuala Terengganu and will be expanded to Johor Bahru, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Kuantan.
“This has been a long outstanding issue which was approved in previous years’ budgets but not implemented,” he said.
“I hope that next year, Kuching will be allocated its fair share and the programme will be successfully implemented this time,” Lee said.
He added the sales tax exemption for the purchase of locally assembled air-conditioned buses will be extended for two years starting from January 1 next year until December 3 in 2022. This is a good move, he noted.
“This is good for our proposal to purchase more buses including energy efficient buses for the Stage Bus Service Programme in the State,” he pointed out.
It is also observed that in the Economic Resilience, Strategy: Development Agenda under the 12th Malaysia Plan, Measure 1: Under the Transport Infrastructure Development, there is no mention of the development of premium mode of public transport in Sarawak, including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), he said.
